Alan Milburn, the former Labour health secretary in Tony Blair's cabinet and author of a government-led review into youth disengagement, has urged ministers to reallocate welfare spending to expand employment support for young people. Speaking to the Guardian, Milburn said that more intensive, upfront investment in support services is required "if we are going to end the Neet crisis."
Milburn suggested that cuts to certain benefits could free funds to deliver the bespoke training, work placements and targeted assistance that his review recommends. He framed the proposal as a fiscal re-prioritisation rather than new public spending, arguing that redirected resources would deliver interventions designed to move young people into education, training or employment.
The remarks are likely to provoke debate within the Labour party and across the wider political spectrum. Proposals to reduce welfare payments to finance expanded services for young people touch on sensitive questions about social protection, fairness and the balance between short-term support and long-term investment in skills and employment.
Background levels of young people classed as NEET — not in education, employment or training — have been a focal point of policymakers concerned about long-term economic and social consequences. Milburn’s review recommends a stepped-up package of support tailored to the needs of disconnected young people; his call centres on funding those measures by reprioritising existing welfare budgets rather than increasing overall spending.
Opposition and stakeholder reactions to Milburn’s suggestion were not detailed in the interview. The proposal adds to ongoing debates about how best to combine social protection with active labour market measures to reduce youth unemployment and disengagement, and will test political appetite for welfare reform as a mechanism to finance targeted employment support.